Mathematics
by wingsoflove
Summary: First of the Subject series. ExT Eli x Madison centered romantic fic.


Disclaimer: CCS is a property of CLAMP. No payment whatsoever was received from using the names of the characters below. Should I am violating any rules, please let me know.

This is an ExT or Eli x Madison romantic story. First part of the subject series.

**Mathematics**

_Mmmm__…__ Number 7. Two cars started on the same point and traveled in opposite direction. After traveling for six miles, both cars turned left and stopped ten miles after. How far are both cars from each other?_

_This is going to be too easy. No sweat! All I have to do is make a diagram first like this. Car A and B on the same starting point. Traveling opposite, ne? OK… going this way, the other that way. 6 miles here. 6 miles there. Then—_

"What are you doing?"

Madison jerked in surprise when those words where whispered near her ear.

"Gosh, Eli! Don't ever do that again!" she hissed at the person sitting beside her. Her heart was still beating triple time. She was so engrossed in studying Math that she did not hear him come near.

It was four in the afternoon. Eli had a basketball practice with the varsity so Madison decided to work on her formulas while waiting for him. She had been in the library for almost an hour and a half all ready but she did not notice the passing time.

"Sorry," he said softly, placing his knapsack on the floor beside him. He was still wearing his jersey, his hair a tad wet from perspiration.

Madison cleared her things on the table in front of him, still not breaking her look. "Are you crazy!" she hissed at him.

"Huh?" Eli gave her a questioning look at her sudden outburst while wiping his face with the hand towel draped on his shoulder.

"Are you trying to kill yourself? You are soaked with perspiration!" she sounded aghast.

Eli gave an impish smile. "What if I told you I am?"

Madison's mouth dropped open as he looked at him in disbelief. "You should have taken your shower first."

"Am I that smelly? Do I reek that bad? So sorry. I was in a hurry to catch up on you so I went here right away. I didn't know –"

"Eli," Madison said softly cutting him off. "Since when did you become sensitive, huh? I am just worried that you are gonna get sick with what you are doing."

Eli snorted. "Yeah, right. Worried, she said. That's just putting it mildly." Eli continued on his tirade. He was just having fun on her expense. He knew she'd react with what he did but the coach had a last minute meeting after the practice that he had no chance to call Madison on her celphone. He thought she had gone home but was relieved that she was still in the library waiting for him to go home together.

Like what they were doing for the past years since elementary. They had become the best of friends. Somewhat inseparable.

The whole student body, including teachers alike, envied their relationship. They were similar in every aspect: both came from prominent families, both known for their prowess in academics and both had good looks to boast.

The perfect couple.

But a couple they were not, as mistaken mostly by the people around them.

"Eli," Madison said exasperatedly. "Will you cut it out. Mind you," she gave him a wink, "even if you do stink, which I hope you won't, I would still be your best friend."

Eli raised an eyebrow. "Really, now?"

"Uhuh," she nodded and began closing the open books in front of her. "But," she emphasized, looking at him from the corners of her eyes, "I would do anything to make you smell good."

He snorted. "Some friend you are. Anyway, what are you doing?" he asked opening her notebook.

"Math. We have an exam coming up, remember?"

"Ofcourse," he answered, smiling broadly, "and I _remember_ it is going to be two weeks from now. So, what are you doing studying? You don't need to."

She gave him an evil grin. "To get a head start from you. I know Math is your forte."

"I'm glad you know that I could ace that test. No point in wasting precious time over it."

"You brag too much. I don't think so. There can only be one valedictorian in our senior year, ya know."

"As far as I know… none other than me," he announced, smirking.

"No way. This time, there is not going to be a tie. That medal is mine."

"Oh, yes, it's gonna be yours all right," Eli nodded in agreement. "The salutatorian medal, that is," he added.

"As far as I know also… your name was already written at the back of the silver medal."

"In your dreams," he said tickling her on her sides, earning a muffled giggles from her.

The librarian suddenly cleared her throat behind them. "Children, good afternoon," she greeted them with knowing smile.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," Madison replied in soft voice.

"Although I am grateful that both of you study a lot here in the library, you, two, should set an example as senior students by acting accordingly."

Both of them bowed and gave a cheeky smile. "Sorry, ma'am."

"However, I don't mind if no one's around," she whispered so only the two of them could hear before leaving.

Madison gave out a sigh. Eli gave a devilish grin. Both had the same thing on their minds without needing to voice it out. Even the librarian had romantic thoughts about them. Well, it had always been like that for years now. What could they do to make them see?

Eli cleared his throat. "Ok, need help in anything?" he asked changing the topic.

"I can do this. Besides, I'm done already. We need to get you into your shower. Pronto," she answered, stacking up her notebooks on one side.

"Are you coming in with me? In the shower, that is," he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Gosh, could you lower down your voice?" Madison hissed at him, placing her hand on his mouth. "If someone heard you, we would be the subject of the school's discussion again."

"So? Let them. We are doing nothing to be ashamed of," he answered, voice muffled by her hand. Eli held her hand to remove it from his mouth, kissing her wrist as he often did.

Madison snatched her hand away, rolling her eyes.

"That, my dear, is why Mathematics is very interesting. It excites the senses."

She gave him a side-long questioning glance. "How can it be interesting and exciting? It's just a study of numbers… nothing but numbers."

"Numbers are fun," he defended. "One boy plus one girl equals two tons of rumors, good and bad. Interesting, huh?"

Madison gave out a muted laugh.

"A man and a woman added together totaling two individuals sharing a lifetime of sweet sorrow. The ratio of happiness against loneliness is greater if the percentage of love involve in the relationship exceeds the maximum allowable quotient," he rattled on, his voice dropping an octave lower. "Exciting, huh?"

"Honestly!" Madison sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're thinking of relationships when studying math? That's your secret why you are always topping the subject? Are you a pervert by any chance?"

"Mmm… partly," he said then shrugged. "Wait until we get to _multiplication_!"

"Why am I trying to have a sane conversation with you?"

"'Cause you adore me, your very best friend?"

Madison finished putting her things in order and started to stand up. "You never give up, do you?"

"Guilty," he acknowledged and took her bag. "Come on. What have you against relationships anyway?" he asked, looking at her intently.

"What have you for it anyway?" she countered, walking beside him as they went out the library.

"Don't answer my question with a question, Madison."

"Then don't ask me silly questions," she countered.

"And the silliness of my question is--?"

Madison let out a deep sigh.

"And what is that sigh for!" Eli demanded to know.

"Just put it this way --- _mathematics_ is not for me," Madison stated in finality. "History, I can dig. Science, in a way. But Math… I don't know."

"My offer still stands… regarding helping you with _math_, that is," Eli said in a tender voice, emphasizing the word math.

Madison stopped on her tracks. Eli stopped walking also when he realized she was lagging and looked back at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

_Helping you with Math— _

_You're thinking of relationships when studying Math--- _

_Is he--?_

"Madison?"

She looked straight at him, standing several feet away, her eyes wide with in shock.

_---trying to imply something? No way! Eli? Of all the people in the world? He would notice more than a friend? It couldn't be. It can't be! I am just a friend for him. Just a friend all these years. If he did, he would've said something… done something… let me feel something!_

"Madison, something wrong?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and closed her eyes briefly. _No, it's too much to hope for. They will never be. Never ever._

She shook her head and pasted a smile on her face. "Nothing's wrong," she said as she traced the steps towards him.

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly while placing his arm around her shoulders as they continued on walking. "You're feeling all right?"

"Yes. I just thought of something that I forgot to do," she confirmed, saying the first white lie that came to her mind.

Eli smiled and released a deep breath. "Is it something about Math?"

"No," she said and sighed inwardly. "It's something about Science."

* * *

end… for now

am back after a lllllloooonnnngggg time! Been too busy with studies that I had no time to write. Well, priority first is to finish all those fics I have not concluded yet… hopefully.

Hope you, guys, like my come-back fic. This should come first before history. I think I messed up everything, hehehe.

Review, please!


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